


Monkey Wings

by Serriya (Keolah)



Category: Green Sky Trilogy - Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Oz - L. Frank Baum
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe, Children, Flying Monkeys, Games, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1994-01-01
Updated: 1994-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-14 04:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/511308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keolah/pseuds/Serriya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A group of young flying monkeys play tag amongst the giant trees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monkey Wings

The trees towered high as the sky in the forests of Thalarey, so high that one could say that the sky was green. It was March of the Lezarian year 4315. The trees were all covered with pink blossoms, and they were filled with many pairs of shining wings of gold and silver. But these wings did not belong to birds of any kind. They belonged to mammals.

Seven flying monkeys, called zephyli, were playing Nous in a less populated area of the forest between the cities of Ramar and Camar. Nous is the zelphylian word for Touch. In other words, the seven young zephyli were playing a version of Tag.

Kithra was currently chasing the one of the youngest zephyli. Shewas cream colored and had deep brown eyes. Her wings were brilliant silver, and they didn't fail her. With an easy flap of them, she swiftly shot forward and around to the Steps, which was the nickname of the branch of Stormtree that was gnarled so much that it looked like steps. The Steps had been proclaimed safe.

Kithra landed gracefully on a certain twist of the Steps and was safe.

Sparky stopped in midflight and hovered near the steps. He was reddish brown and had sparkling green eyes. His wings were bright gold; but unlike Kithra's, they failed him. Because of the red fur, he was called Sparky. With a flip of his tail, he turned around and started to pursue another zephyl.

His new prey was Luna, a young female flying monkey with tawny fur and hazel eyes. She was certainly not faster than Sparky, but she was smarter. Sparky was infamous for thinking three-dimensionally, but Luna took it a step further. She would use the trees themselves to her advantage. 

When Sparky began his pursuit, she immediately began an ascent. When she had nearly reached the branches that were only as thick as her waist, which was about three hundred feet straight up, she darted to the other side of the Suntree and, unseen by began a descent. Or rather, a fall. She simply pulled back her silver wings and stretched out downward. Before she hit, of course, she grabbed control and hovered directly below a thick first-level limb street. Sparky could never find her here.

Sparky, forlorn and distraught at loosing not one, but two victims, decided to follow Sparky's Rule number 14: When desperate, be despicable. He went over to a branch of the Startree and sat down. Then, he proceeded to spew out fake tears. Sparky was so good an actor that he scared himself sometimes.

His plan worked. Kithra, seeing Sparky crying, went over to him and said, "Sparky?"

Before she could react, Sparky jumped up and tagged her, "Kithra. Sparky-attack, no tag-backs."

Before she knew what had happened to her, Sparky had soared off in the direction of Songtree. Kithra stared after him, then flew off toward Suntree, where she saw Luna go and hide. Nous was also similar to hide-and-seek.

Luna did not expect to see her here, but Kithra didn't see another zephyl. He was almost white, and his eyes were bright blue. His name was, ironically, Tumahn, which meant Shady. Kithra had thought that he was over by the Trilltree, but the aspect of a better target was an irresistible one. She immediately began chasing Tumahn. Fortunately, Tumahn had not expected to see her there either. 

He had little time to think of an evasion method, but he thought of one quick enough to avoid Kithra's tag. He began to spiral up the Suntree with swift and easy flaps. Kithra knew what he was trying to do, which was to lose her. She flew directly up the tree and met him head on when he spiraled toward her.

"Tumahn!" she cried as she flew off toward the Startree.

Tumahn simply hovered there, dumbstruck. He had not expected Kithra to be so clever. _Oh, well, he thought, I can just go over to Twintree. I saw Ginger and Reven fly off in that direction a while ago, when Sparky was it. They are easy prey._

While Tumahn was chasing after Reven, a sly young male flying monkey whose fur was almost black, Kithra was hovering over Sparky at Songtree.

This is how she got there. When Kithra went to Startree, which was right next to Songtree, she saw Sparky over at Songtree. Sparky was making stupid gestures so Kithra just to go over there to find out what in the world he wanted. Sparky was only a year older than Kithra, but he acted as though she were older that he. Because Kithra was the daughter of the Kormann, she had a status that was more than Spurdan, Sparky's real name. It meant "Last of Five."

Kithra went over to Sparky and hovered near him. The boy cried, "Kithra, there's a kaw-ree in the meadow!"

"Time out!" shouted Kithra, "All Nous players gather at the Steps!"

Every one of the seven zephyli heard her and started toward Stormtree. Kaw-ree means fire in the tongue of the flying monkeys. 

When Kithra and Sparky reached the Steps, two pairs of silver wings and two pairs of golden ones were already gathered. One zephyl was missing.

"Where is Reggar?" asked Kithra urgently.

"I don't know," said Ginger, whose name was the color of her "But I thought I saw him going in the direction of Scartree."

"Scartree?" said Kithra, "But that's beyond the boundaries of Nous. Why would he be going there, knowing that he would automatically be disqualified for --"

"Kithra!" cried a voice from a few branches above. It was Reggar.

"Reggar," said Kithra, "What in the world are you doing up there? You had us worried."

"I am currently attempting to dislodge my phalanges from this fork of branches." said Reggar.

"What're you trying to do?" cried Tumahn.

"Ahhhh!" cried Reggar as he fell onto the Steps. "Sparky's Rule number 23: You can't fall off the floor."

Luna shook her head and asked, "What did you call us here for, Kithra?"

"Sparky, you tell them." said Kithra.

"I saw a kaw-ree in the meadows." said Sparky, "That's all I know."

"Any way you look at it," said Reven, who had been fortunate enough to have Tumahn's tag not count because time out had been called just in time, "Any way you look at it, Kithra, it is time to go home. My watch says six o'clock."

"Six o'clock!" cried Kithra, "This game of Nous is over. Go home, everyone!"

With that, the seven zephyli scattered.

Kithra arrived at her home in Ramar at 6:10. She called for her father. There was no answer. Tacked against the wall to the left of the door she found a note that he left her, written in the Zephylian runes. It meant, literally, "Gone to council," with the rune for his name, "Ship in a Storm." Kithra understood.

Kithra shrugged and thought, _Might as well get a bite of dinner._ Kithra flew up to the kitchen. The cherries weren't bearing fruit yet, and that was a shame. Kithra had to settle for the winter crop of z'dar, a vegetable similar to a potato. While eating her z'dar, a knock came at the door. Then, Sparky stormed in. 

"Sparky, what is it?" said Kithra.

"Where is your father?" asked Sparky franticly.

"He is at the council," answered Kithra.

"Never mind," sighed Sparky, "Z'dar! My favorite. Mind if I have some?"

"Fine, but I'm not a maid," said Kithra as she shook her head.

"Thanks. Yum." Sparky swallowed the z'dar in one bite. "See you around, Kithra." With that, Sparky left.

The next day, the Nous players met at the Steps at ten o'clock in the morning. Reggar, Kithra, Sparky, Luna, Tumahn, Ginger, Reven, and a newcomer named Teer got ready to play. Kithra was explaining the rules to Teer, who was even a little younger than herself. Teer was a small, quick zephyl with rich cherry-wood colored fur and glowing yellow eyes. Her inner wings were a brilliant silver, like all female zephyli, and their outer wing was the same cherry colored fur. She would prove to be a challenging player because of this natural camouflage.

"... and the farthest north you can go is the Songtree. Okay? Get ready for Nous!"cried Kithra to everyone. "Ginger was here last, so she is It first. Zephyli, SCATTER!"

With the speed of the wind, the eight zephyli scattered out in all directions. Ginger covered her eyes and slowly counted to ninety-nine. Teer flew south to Twintree, Sparky went east to Suntree, and Luna and Tumahn soared to Swantree. Kithra hid in the heights of Timetree. Reggar moved to Skytree, and Reven hid in the lower limbs of Songtree.

When Ginger finished counting, she looked around first. To the north, she saw only Reven standing there waiting for her to move. South, she thought she saw a suspisious-looking bump on one of Twintree's trunks, but she didn't know for sure.

South-west, she examined Time, Swift, and Trilltree. Swifttree blocked her view of Swantree, and that was why Tumahn had chosen that spot. She didn't notice Kithra, so she turned north-west. She saw Reggar's tail at Skytree, though she couldn't identify whose it was. She then turned north-east.

She noticed Sparky at Suntree, in the mid-heights. She didn't dare try chasing Sparky, so she chose Reven in Songtree. Ginger flew first to Startree, and, in the lower limbs, circled around so that the tree blocked her view of Songtree. She couldn't see Reven, but Reven couldn't see her, either. 

There, she flew straight up to the far heights. She didn't see Tumahn migrate to Swifttree. In the heights, she looked down at Reven, who was slowly moving to Skytree. She instantly leapt into the air and glided swiftly after him. As they reached Skytree, Reggar flew quickly above them to the south, to Trilltree. Ginger was determined not to be fooled by her own trick, and she kept after Reven.

He started Tumahn's Spiral, and Ginger wasn't tricked by this either. She flapped straight upward, expecting to meet Reven head-on. When she didn't, she knew Reven had tricked her. She circed around to the back of the tree, then heard a rustle in the leaves she had just abandoned. 

She reached the south side of the tree in time to see Reven's sleek form gliding south. Ginger quickly chased after him, soon discovering that he was heading for Swantree. He reached it before she did, and when he did, Tumahn and Reggar suddenly shot out of their trees. Reggar was going to Stormtree, and Tumahn to Skytree.

She quickly blocked Tumahn's path, and the flying monkey was nearly tagged. A sudden bank to the right was all that avoided it. After seeing that he was heading for Stormtree, she broke off pursuit and headed for Swantree. 

Before she could find Reven, he darted out of the leaves and went to Twintree. Ginger moved quickly into pursuit, and didn't expect to see Kithra glide out of her hiding spot above them. When Ginger ignored her, Kithra turned down and around toward Twintree. Kithra glimpsed Teer on the eastern trunk, and Reven quickly shot up to the heights of the western trunk.

As Ginger chased Reven, Kithra suddenly soared between them, and Ginger turned to chase her. Kithra circled around to the eastern trunk, where Teer's sudden appearance distracted Ginger. Ginger, however, was not distracted enough to keep from chasing Teer. The younger monkey flew straight and fast to Stormtree, hoping to reach the Steps, but Ginger was faster.

Even as they reached Stormtree, Ginger managed to tag Teer, and Ginger quickly free-fell to the Steps, where she could stay as long as It was watching her or in the immediate vicinity. Teer looked around, but didn't see any of the flying monkeys. Reven was still in Twintree, and Kithra had migrated to Snaketree. Sparky had been in Raintree for who knows how long. Reggar was in Songtree, currently ready for a glide to Skytree. Luna, who had been safely hidden in the lowest limbs of Swantree the entire time, moved now to Trilltree. Tumahn was still in Skytree.

* * *

"Reven, you were here last, you are It first. Zephyli, SCATTER!"

The eight zephyli flew out in all directions like a frightened flock of birds. Reven calmly counted to ninety-nine while the zephyli found good hiding places before seeking them out himself. Kithra was hidden hundreds of feet up in Songtree where the branches hardly supported her weight. The leaves were thick up here, and the air was thin. She would not be easily found. From this vantage point, she could look down through the branches and see most of the Nous field relatively well.

Tumahn was directly across from the Steps on the other side of the trunk. If Reven didn't go there first, it would be a very good place to stay for a while. Luna was in the midheights of Suntree, trying to use the same strategy she had used before. Suntree was a much better place for it, though. Far across the open area around Stormtree, Teer and Tumahn were hiding in the branches of Twintree, apparently unaware of each other.

Almost beyond the boundries of Nous, Sparky was at Slytree trying a new strategy. Reggar was at a high level in Trilltree, poised for a long glide to Skytree if Reven got too close. Ginger was nowhere to be seen. She either was in one of the more remote Nous trees, like Timetree or Snaketree, or had a good hiding spot.

Reven was finished counting. He stood for a moment on the Steps, trying to find out where one of the zephyli was. After deciding that he could not see anyone at the present time and position, he took off slowing and flew in the direction of Trilltree. 

Kithra kept to the heights as she movely slowing toward Skytree. Neither Reven nor Reggar saw her move. Reven was in the heights on the south side of Trilltree when a rustling in the leaves turned his attention to the north side. He got there just in time to see Reggar gliding on his outstretched golden wings toward Skytree. Reven began a swift glide after him.

He had almost caught up with Reggar when Kithra suddenly shot below him. Reven turned his path to follow Kithra. Kithra flew straight and swift in a long glide to Swifttree. Just as suddenly as Kithra had appeared, Ginger flew above both of them. Reven decided to chase her instead. Ginger soared on a warm current toward the heights of Stormtree.

Reven had nearly caught her when she began a free-fall. Reven fell after her, but Ginger had gotton a head-start. Before he could reach her, she was standing on the Steps. Reven still needed practice at playing Nous, apparently. He just shook his head and started out toward  
Twintree. When Reven reached the point between the two trees of Twintree, Tumahn suddenly shot out to the west, and Teer glided out to the east. Reven quickly decided to pursue Tumahn. 

When Tumahn reached the Swantree, he began his well-known (too well-known) upward spiral. Once again, that strategy failed him, and he was It. Tumahn should really change his strategy more often. Like in Sparky's Rule number 12: Always change yourstrategy. Don't give anyone time to adapt. Confuse them. It worked.

Tumahn sighed and faded into the leaves at the end of a Swantree branch. Reven slipped over to Trilltree without being noticed. Kithra relocated to Swifttree. Teer found herself in the midheights of Snaketree. Ginger had silently crossed over to Startree, staying in the lower branches. Sparky remained in Slytree, no one entirely sure about what he was doing. Luna had migrated to Raintree. Reggar remained in the lower limbs of Skytree.

Tumahn swifty and silently moved upward to the farheights of Swantree. From there, he had expected to see all of the players. Instead, he saw only Sparky. Was this planned? Or was this some part of Sparky's new strategy? Tumahn wasn't sure, but he had to go after someone. So Tumahn slipped through the heights of the cherries from Swantree to Swifttree to Stormtree. Ginger wisely chose to stay in place. As Tumahn crossed over to Skytree, he slipped.

Zephyli are normally graceful and agile. This seemed to be an exception. Tumahn had gotten his foot caught in a tangle of branches and leaves. As he fell, one of his wings was torn, keeping him from flying.

Sparky cried, "Tumahn!" and glided to the rescue.

Someone shouted, "Time out!"

All of the players went to Tumahn's assisance as soon as possible. Sparky managed to get Tumahn safely to the ground. They could see now that Tumahn had a sprained right ankle and a torn right wing.

Kithra arrived quickly, saying, "What are we going to do?"

Sparky was the only one who responded. "If we try to return to Ramar, we would get in trouble and may not be allowed to play Nous anymore. If we don't, they will get worried and we might get in bigger trouble."

Teer spoke next. "There is a canno, a healer, in Healtree that may be able to help him. I am currently his apprentice, and study with him every night. We could take Tumahn there. I'm sure she would help."

Kithra said to Luna, Reggar, and Reven, "Return to Ramar. Get some help. Me and Sparky are going to take him to Cannotine, Healtree. Ginger, Teer, I want you to go ahead of us and tell the canno that we're coming. None of you travel alone."

They nodded and did as she requested. When they had left, Sparky and Kithra were speaking about the paradox of moving the semiconscious Tumahn.

"We certainly can't make him fly or walk by himself," said Kithra. 

"The question is:" said Sparky, "Will we carry him by land or by air?"

Kithra pondered this for a moment before saying, "Air."

Thus they loaded Tumahn onto their backs and flew toward Furtree, which stood next to Healtree. They had to fly harder than usual, each carrying more than their normal weight, but they managed to keep airborne. Ginger and Teer flew with the speed of the wind that few zephyli possessed directly toward Cannotine, the Healtree. They pressed their sleek wings hard to fly with the wind.


End file.
